Progressive Era Federal Reform Activities
By Daniel Francis, eHow Contributor
The Progressive Era brought changes to the federal government.
The Progressive Era in the United States ranged from the 1890s to the 1920s. The movement crossed political lines with representatives from both major political parties calling for reform. The primary goal of the Progressive Era was to purify the government from corruption that had become widespread in the late 19th century. The era produced some short-term and long-term reforms.
By Daniel Francis, eHow Contributor
The Progressive Era brought changes to the federal government.
The Progressive Era in the United States ranged from the 1890s to the 1920s. The movement crossed political lines with representatives from both major political parties calling for reform. The primary goal of the Progressive Era was to purify the government from corruption that had become widespread in the late 19th century. The era produced some short-term and long-term reforms.
- Finance, Trade and Banking
- The Progressive movement sought to incorporate modern scientific methods into finance, industry and economics. In response to a series of monetary panics in the late 19th century and in 1907, a bipartisan commission helped establish the Federal Reserve Act. "The Fed" became the powerful, central bank of the United States. In 1914, the Clayton Antitrust Act strengthened antitrust and anti-monopoly laws. The Federal Trade Act set up the commission charged with investigating unfair business practices.
- Suffrage
- The women's suffrage movement sought to give women the right to vote. Although the roots of the movement dated from the founding of the nation and began gaining popularity after the Civil War, it came to fruition during the Progressive Era. After Congress failed to ratify women's suffrage in 1915, President Wilson lobbied the Congress and the measure passed in 1918. It took another year for the Senate to approve the 19th Amendment to the Constitution, granting equal voting rights for women. In 1920 the states ratified the amendment, and women gained the right to vote in all elections.
- Food Production
- In the novel "The Jungle," author Upton Sinclair shed light on the faults of unregulated food production. The novel's graphic portrayal of unsanitary conditions and unfair labor practices in the meat packing industry shocked many. In response, Progressives successfully proposed laws to regulate and monitor the industrial production of food. The Pure Food and Drug Act of 1906 required companies to label ingredients in processed food. The Meat Inspection Act of 1906 required government inspection of meat processing plants to ensure the use of good meat and sanitary practices. These acts eventually gave way to the Food and Drug Administration.
- Prohibition
- In 1917 the 18th Amendment to the Constitution prohibited the sale or production of alcohol. In 1919 it was ratified by three-fourths of the states. The movement came largely from Christian churches in various congregations across the country. In theory the prohibition of alcohol should have led to the reduction of domestic violence and poverty. In addition, it would lead to the closing of saloons where many political bosses were thought to centralize their power. Instead it led to a large and international underground of criminal production of alcohol and was repealed in 1933.